Pressing Matters
by XxBamxX
Summary: While trying to train Roy, his anger puts Felicity in a dangerous situation. One-shot.


**This is set somewhere after when Roy found out Oliver was the Arrow and before they knew about Slade. This isn't full on Olicity, basically what you see in the show, but there's protective Oliver. I ended up writing twice as much of what I intended. Apparently, I don't know when or how to finish these kinds of things. x.x ughh haha  
**

**Leave a review please? :D? Hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading! 3  
**

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"Roy, you have to concentrate." Oliver's voice filled the room, calm yet authoritative all in one.

Felicity watched as Roy let out an exasperated sigh before lowering the bow and turning towards Oliver and Sara. "What do you think I'm doing?" They have been trying to train Roy for the past week and while he was picking things up fairly quickly, his anger was still a huge obstacle that they couldn't seem to put a dent into.

"Just focus on your target and concentrate on your breathing. You can do this, Roy." Sara offered easily in support.

Roy brought the bow back up again and returned to the form they had showed him. She looked on as he took a deep breath and drew the arrow back as he eyed the target painted on the wall across the room. When he was ready, he released his hand and watched with a bated breath as the arrow soared.

"Still needs work, but you're getting better." Oliver said as he came up next to him.

"Better?" Roy scoffed, "I didn't even hit the target!" He pointed toward the arrow that was at least a foot outside the target.

"No, you didn't but it's the closest you've gotten and you're improving in a short time. This is good, Roy."

"Good? This is useless! What's the point of this? I have the mirakuru! I don't need your stupid arrows to get something done!" He yelled, quickly losing his patience

"Roy, you need to calm down." Oliver said standing directly in front of him, giving him a hard look. It was then that she noticed his hands were shaking.

"How about you guys move on to something else for now." Digg stated more than suggested from where he sat beside Felicity at her computers, clearly noticing as well.

After a few attempts Roy gave in and headed towards the mats with Oliver and Sara to spar. Digg had gotten up from his position next to her and walked over towards the three. He wasn't joining them, but he figured it was best he stood on the side incase Roy had another outburst.

Felicity felt bad for the kid. He had obviously never intended to be injected with a superhuman serum and now he was stuck living with it. To make matters worse, he clearly wasn't all that in-check with his emotions, particularly his anger. Oliver was trying hard to keep him in line and get him to learn to control the mirakuru, but she could tell even he was losing his patience.

She turned her attention back to her monitors so she could finish applying the proper updates to the system. Behind her, the sounds of grunts and skin against the rubber mats echoed through the lair. She couldn't help but wince every time they got a little too rough even though she knew they could handle it.

After about ten minutes she turned in her chair having finished with her updates. Sara and Oliver were on opposite sides with Roy in the center. She watched as they each delivered their moves while Roy blocked what he could. He was strong, but he wasn't nearly as skilled at fighting as Oliver, Sara, or even Digg.

They were moving too quick for her to fully keep up with what they were doing but from the evident frustration on Roy's face, the training aspect didn't seem to be going so well. He managed to block a right hook from Oliver, but he failed to notice Sara as she crouched down behind him and swept her leg under his knocking him off balance. The leg swipe didn't knock him down, but he became unfocused enough to miss Oliver's next move and was taken down. He didn't get up right away and they could all feel the tension radiating off of him.

Oliver held his hand out to help him up, but he pushed it away rising on his own. "I'm sick of this. What is the point? I don't need all this stupid training. I can take someone out just fine."

"Clearly, you can't." Oliver said, his face passive.

"The hell I can't! The only reason I didn't is because you're forcing me to do things your way. _Your way._ Because Oliver Queen knows all!"

"Yes, Roy. My way, because your way is being influenced by the mirakuru. You're going to end up doing more damage than good." Oliver and Roy were now toe to toe, staring each other down.

"Roy, come on. You've got to calm down." He turned around to Sara, fire in his eyes.

"You all need to stop telling me to calm down!"

Felicity couldn't watch any more, worried for her friends in the wrath of a mirakuru enraged Roy Harper. She got up from her chair and without hesitation walked up to Roy to try and get him to focus. However, she herself was too focused on her task that she didn't think clearly and walked up out of his line of sight, ignoring Oliver and Digg's sudden attempt to keep her away.

She reached up and grabbed onto his shoulder intent to turn him around and get his attention away from Sara and try to get through to him. If tensions weren't so high between the group then she probably would have realized how bad of an idea that truly was.

She had no time to react. No time to even make a sound.

Before she could realize what went wrong she found herself face up on the mats. Her left arm was pinned down to the mats by Roy's hand as his left arm was pressing painfully against her windpipe while she gasped and clutched at his arm, trying to get oxygen to her lungs. She wouldn't deny that she was curious how strong Roy had become, but even now, even as he was holding back, she wished she still didn't know.

Unfortunately he wasn't holding back enough and she felt a snap in her wrist. If she had any vocal ability she was sure she would have screamed. Instead, her eyes filled with pain induced tears and a short but sharp gasp.

Though the pain against her wrist and throat made it seem a lot longer than it actually was, almost as soon as she was down, Oliver, Digg, and Sara had all moved into action. She stared at him trying to get through to him even with her lack of ability to speak, but it was no use as rage and anger was all she could see in Roy's eyes.

She turned pained eyes away toward Oliver and Digg, who were on either side of Roy pulling at his shoulders.

"Roy, stop! Let go!" Oliver yelled at him, his own voice now filled with as much rage as Roy's had been, only his held a tinge of fear to it as well.

"You're going to kill her! Roy, listen to me. Let go!" Sara's voice, while not as frantic as Oliver's was still equally as stern and fearful as she grabbed onto the arm across Felicity's throat trying to stop his arm from crushing her windpipe, or worse.

As if a switch in his head was flipped, Felicity watched as the fire in his eyes was instantly extinguished and replaced with something akin to despair.

No sooner than he was on her, he was abruptly off her. "Oh, god." His hands and feet skirting himself back until his back hit the support beam behind him staring at her in horror.

Felicity gasped in air, coughing violently as her lungs burned. She was being lifted into a sitting position and turned to see Sara gently lifting her from her previous position.

Oliver had every intention of releasing every ounce of anger he ever felt into Roy, but as he got up Digg's hand against his chest stopped him. "I got him. You check on her." Oliver was about to protest until he looked over at Felicity. His rage was immediately replaced with worry as he dropped down to her side, his hand finding its way against the side of her face urging her to look at him.

"Felicity? Talk to me." He tilted her head slightly, seeing red as he eyed the bruise running along the front of her neck.

Having seen enough anger in someone to last her a lifetime, she went to lift her hand to Oliver's to ease his emotions. Seemingly, she forgot about the injury to her wrist because as she went to move it a sharp pain struck her, sending waves of pain through her arm. A cry of agony fell from her lips before she could stop it. Oliver pulled back and gently grabbed her hand in his, resting her now swollen and bruised wrist against his open palm.

"Looks broken." She nodded slightly at Sara's words, turning her head slightly to see the blonde better.

"Or fractured. I felt a snap." She said lowly and raspy through her sore throat before a small painful cough ripped through her again.

At her words, Oliver gently laid her wrist in her lap careful not to jostle it too much.

"Where are you going?" Sara asked as he went to stand up.

"I'm going to kill him." Felicity's eyes widened at his oddly calm words, fearful that it wasn't just an empty threat.

"No!" She yelled as much as her voice would let her which ended up as more of a strained whisper, grabbing onto his arm with her right hand. Digg was now at their side as well, though she was sure it was to keep Oliver away from Roy. Digg was just as angry at Roy, but due to the intense circumstances, there had to be one person with their head on straight.

Felicity looked towards Roy for the first time since he released her and she startled at the amount of self-loathe and guilt that was radiating off of him. Despite the situation, she gave him a small smile. She knew he felt bad. It was more than clear and there was no reason to add to the guilt. She was sure Oliver would do that enough on his own anyway. She knew things were hard for him since he was injected with the mirakuru and she could see that it wasn't ever his intention to hurt her or even lay a hand on her. Though hopefully this would help him realize how important control was.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Oliver appeared at her other side and before she could question it, he had one arm across her back and the other under her knees, picking her up in his arms as he stood. Her good arm instantly went around the back of his neck and she shot him a confused look.

"Digg's going to look you over." Oliver answered her unspoken question as he brought her over to the metal table and gently lowered her on it so she was sitting, her legs hanging off the side as she cradled her wrist in her lap. Sara was at the opposite side of the table as Digg approached.

At some point Roy had gotten up and walked around closer to the rest of them. He was standing off to the side, but within sight of Felicity, needing to know the damage he had caused.

Oliver noticed this as well and before he could make a move, Felicity latched her hand around his wrist for the second time.

"Oliver, don't. He feels bad enough."

"He should feel worse." Where her word were quiet, his was said loud enough to carry over to Roy. Intentionally, she was sure. She shot Oliver a look as Roy flinched. Part of her didn't blame Oliver. If it had happened to any of the others, she would be livid as well, but she couldn't find it in her to blame Roy either. She didn't know him all that well, but she could tell from the look in his eyes earlier, that it was not who he really was.

Digg came up in front of her as Oliver stepped to the side though still sticking close. He brought a hand to her chin, gently tilting her head back slightly to get a look at the bruise that adorned her neck. She didn't know how it looked, but from the shake of Digg's head and the pain she was feeling, she could only assume it looked awful.

"Can you breathe?" She lifted an eyebrow and shifted her eyes to the side in a _duh_ expression. He smiled down at her letting his arm drop back to his side.

"Smartass. I mean, does it hurt for you to breathe?"

"Not terribly." She answered.

"How about your lungs?" He asked and she gave him a look considering she hadn't completely lost the ability to breath.

"No…?"

"Hey, you know I'm not a doctor. I'm just trying to make sure it's nothing se- nothing fatal." He teased. She stuck her tongue out him in jest.

"My lungs seem to be working accordingly, sir" She mock saluted him and even the anger towards Roy couldn't keep the small smile from appearing on Oliver's face.

"Nothing can contain that personality, huh." Felicity smiled proudly at Sara. Her smile was quickly replaced with a grimace and a hiss of pain as Digg lifted her arm in his hands to check her wrist.

"Hey! Watch it!" Not being able to pull her arm away like she would have wished, she lightly smacked at his arm with her good hand.

"Felicity, let him check it." Oliver said giving her a look not to argue with. She sighed and then quickly tried to hide the wince at the small strain of her throat. "Fine, fine."

"Well, you guys know just about as much as me on this one. I can't exactly see inside her arm, but it seems to be broken, or fractured in the least." Digg gently rested her arm back in her lap.

"To the hospital then?" Sara suggested.

"What? No! How am I supposed to explain this?" She gestured to her neck, looking back and forth between the three. Oliver shrugged his shoulder. "You could tell them that Roy tried to kill you." She gave him an exasperated look instead. "Oliver, stop."

"No, he's right." Roy spoke up for the first time since he nearly choked her to death.

"Roy, no-" Felicity started, but was cut off and her words drowned out by Oliver's.

"What, now you're going to listen to me?" Oliver turned to face him. His words more deadly than she ever heard.

"I didn't me-" The apology that had been eating away at Roy, even though he knew it wouldn't be enough, was cut off by Oliver's thunderous voice.

"You didn't mean to what, Roy? You didn't mean to almost kill Felicity? Didn't mean to break her wrist?" Digg now had a grip on Oliver's shoulder keeping him from starting another outbreak.

"I just, I lost control okay-"

"You're damn right you did!"

"-And I'm sorry," He looked towards Felicity, "_I am. _I'm so sorry." He met Oliver's glare again, "I deserve whatever you want to do to me. I know it's no excuse, but I didn't ask for this. I'm not willingly losing control-"

"None of us _asked for this_! You're right, it is no excuse. But regardless you have the choice to control the mirakuru. I've dealt with this before and I know what it does to people. And you seem pretty hell-bent on not listening to a word I say."

"That's not-"

"Don't." Oliver stepped forward, ripping his shoulder from Digg's grip. From the way he was tensing his jaw, Felicity was worried it would snap. "Since day one you've been putting up a fight about everything. And look where it got us! You almost killed her! Do you realize that?" Roy glanced over at Felicity in shame and guilt. "You're losing control of it right now. Did you even notice?!"

She looked towards Roy's hands just as he did, noticing they were shaking. Roy, however didn't even get a moment to absorb the fact before Oliver was pushing him against the wall. She supposed she could give him some credit. She had been waiting for Oliver to make a move knowing he couldn't always contain his rage either. He held it together longer than she expected. Though, luckily, Oliver wasn't as dangerous as Roy was now, but that just ended up leaving her even more worried for Oliver.

"Hey!" Digg yelled and he and Sara were moving towards the two in an instant. Though when they got closer Digg held a hand towards Sara, not wanting a repeat of before.

"Oliver, knock it off!" Sara yelled. He still wasn't listening. He had Roy braced against the wall with his arm across his chest, looks wanting to kill. In retrospect, Felicity felt that was a little useless considering Roy's strength.

Felicity not being able to take any more of this, yet again, hopped off the table cradling her left arm as she walked over stopping just behind Sara.

"Oliver!" He tensed at her words and it was then that Digg was able to pull him away. "I told you to leave it alone." He let out a humorless laugh and turned to face her.

"You're not seeing what I'm seeing, Felicity." A look of pain briefly passed over him before he regained himself. "He could have killed you."

"But he _didn't _and he's sorry. Right, Roy?" She asked in confirmation for Oliver's sake more than her own. Roy nodded. "You've seen how hard the mirakuru is to control. He made a mistake, but he's still learning. And hopefully this," She gestured to her neck, "is enough to make him realize that learning to control his anger is top priority."

"She's right, Roy." Digg said, "This can't happen again."

"I know" He sighed, "_I know_. And I know it probably means nothing, but I am sorry. I didn't- I would never…"

"I know" She smiled at him. She looked at Oliver and tried giving him a reassuring smile as well, but he sighed and looked away briefly before giving her a tense smirk in return. "Look, I get you want to be all 'Grr' right now, but my wrist _really_ hurts and as shocking as it may seem, I'd really rather stop talking for a while but I can't do that if you guys get into it again." True to her words, the strain in her voice was evident as she finished speaking.

"Come on. We should at least put that in a splint until we figure out what to do with it." Sara said as she laid her hand on Felicity's back guiding her back towards the medical supplies.

While they went to splint Felicity's wrist, Oliver walked over to the training dummy to release his left over anger.

"Maybe it's best you head home for the night." Digg said to Roy, "We can try this again tomorrow."

"I don't think that's going to happen." Roy said dejectedly as he spared a glance at Oliver. Digg looked over as well and sighed.

"Look, he's mad now. And in all honesty, he's got every right to be. What you did was stupid and completely unacceptable. In the moment, I may have done something to you myself. He's not going to give up on you though, Roy, but you have to reciprocate. You have to listen to what we tell you no matter how 'useless' you think it is. More importantly, you can't give up on _yourself_. Fight this, we all know you can." He clapped Roy in the shoulder, "Now, go home and cool off. Don't do anything stupid."

Roy raised his head and gave a nod of thanks to Digg, before turning to leave, but not before checking on Felicity once more. She gave him a nod and a thumbs up as he headed towards the stairs. He didn't miss the glare Oliver was giving him as he passed.

Felicity watched as Oliver beat on the dummy while Sara put the finishing touches on the splint. A part of her felt sick when she realized that's probably what he would be doing to Roy if he could.

"Ya know, you're awfully forgiving to someone who broke your wrist and nearly killed you." Her tone was casual but Felicity could her the underlying questioning in Sara's words.

"I guess." She shrugged from her position on the table once more.

"Any particular reason?" She prodded.

"It wasn't Roy." She responded with so much ease that Sara sent her a questioning look. "I know it was _Roy_. But he….there was this look in his eyes." She shuddered at the memory, "It was, I don't know, different? I could tell he wasn't doing it intentionally. And when he snapped out of it the look in his eyes made me feel like _I_ was the one trying to suffocate him. He can't control the mirakuru, not yet at least, and I can't hold him accountable for something he can't control. He looked like he hated himself and I didn't want to add to it. I couldn't."

"You're one of a kind, Felicity Smoak." Despite the fact the she was borderline whispering due to the ache in her throat, Digg heard her and couldn't help the sense of pride he felt for his friend at her reasoning.

"Yeah now if only Oliver could see it that way." Sara said gesturing towards him.

"Oliver isn't as forgiving as Felicity." He said as he walked over. He had only heard bits and pieces of their conversation, but he got the gist of it. Like Digg, Oliver was also proud of how selfless Felicity was. However, the image of Felicity forcibly held down and in pain made him seethe. The fear of Felicity dying right there in front of him still burned throughout him fresh as if he was still in the moment.

"You could try?" She offered softly, smiling at him questioningly.

"We'll see" He replied as he placed his hand on the shoulder of the non-broken wrist. She was about to respond when she felt the needed to cough. She tried holding it back but that only made it worse. The cough ripped through her leaving her gasping as it further strained the muscles in her neck. Oliver's hand on her shoulder was replaced with Sara's hand on her back rubbing small circles trying to ease her pain.

Oliver now stood in front of her one hand resting against the back of her neck, so lightly she wouldn't even know it was there if it weren't for the heat of his skin, while his other hand was just above the outer side of her knee.

"Felicity. Easy, easy." Digg appeared beside him holding out one of the water bottles they keep down there for when they train. He opened the bottle holding it to her lips as she went to take a sip to ease her discomfort. Seeing she was about to take more than necessary way too fast, he pulled the water bottle back slightly, "Slow. Take small sips or you're gonna choke and it's going to be a lot worse than it is now." She nodded and did as he said.

"You alright?" She nodded at Sara.

"Ugh," she groaned as her coughing and gasping subsided, "That _sucked._"

"Come on," He eased her down from the table, "We're going to the hospital."

"Oliver, I can't. They're going to ask questions."

"Don't worry, we'll think of a cover story." Digg said as he grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and draped it over her shoulders.

When they arrived at the hospital she told them she was attacked by someone trying to mug her outside of Verdant when the others noticed and scared him off. They had her fill out paperwork which she was glad she was right-handed for. After fifteen minutes, her name was called. She would have had to wait longer had she not been accompanied by Oliver Queen.

When they called her name, Oliver stood up to go with her despite the nurse's protests, but when she insisted they had agreed to let him go with her. Digg and Sara remained in the waiting room as they walked down the hall. The independent part of Felicity wanted to tell him he didn't need to go with her but she had a thing against hospitals and was silently glad he was with her.

The nurse told her to have a seat on the bed, which she considered more of a table more than anything. Thankfully it was more comfortable than the table in the lair. After checking her paperwork and doing the usual checks that she did her best to block out, they were left in the room to wait for the doctor.

"You alright?" Oliver asked gesturing to her shaking leg and the fact that she was biting down on the nail of her thumb. She promptly stilled her leg and brought her hand down to her lap.

"Yeah, sorry, I just don't like hospitals." He was about to comment on that when the door opened and the doctor entered the room.

"Hello Ms. Smoak. Mr. Queen, I'm Doctor Adams" She greeted as she shook their hands. "It says here you're in for a possible broken bone and strangulation…?" At the last one she looked questioningly towards Felicity who in turn tilted her head to the side to reveal the bruised skin around her neck. "Oh my. Well, let's get this checked out, shall we? Mr. Queen, if you wouldn't mind stepping outside."

While Oliver didn't so much as budge, Felicity's eyes widened slightly, "They said he could stay!" She let out anxiously.

"Don't worry Ms. Smoak, he can come right back in when we're done here." Doctor Adams said with what Felicity assumed was supposed to be a reassuring smile.

"Please…" She let out in near whisper. The doctor glanced towards Oliver who had a stern expression, clearly not leaving her side until they were finished. After a few tense seconds, the doctor nodded her head, "Okay, you can stay, Mr. Queen."

Felicity noticed her leg was shaking again, and apparently so did Oliver as he reached his hand across to hold onto hers. Pushing her pride aside she held her hand in his. She winced as the doctor prodded her neck assessing the injury but relaxed when Oliver's hand gripped hers comfortingly. After checking her breathing and lungs, she moved on to her wrist.

"This splint is very well done, did you do this yourself?"

"No, our friend did. Her dad is a cop so he taught her the basics." The lie slipped out with ease, though as she thought about it, it seemed like it could be true.

"Well, it's very good." She removed the splint to fully evaluate the swollen wrist. Felicity bit her lips as the ache in her wrist that had finally started to go away was now quickly returning.

"Okay, well, I think it's safe to say there's bone damage, but we're going to need an x-ray to be sure. If you'll follow me, I'll take you the X-ray room."

When they entered the room, she escorted Oliver towards a room connected to where the machine was that had a window to see into. As Felicity waited for further instructions, the doctor turned to her.

"Ms. Smoak, if this is an act of domestic violence, we can get you the help you need." Doctor Adams said in a hushed whisper. Felicity looked at her in confusion and in return she subtly gestured towards where Oliver was. Felicity's eyes widened from the implication, eyes darting toward the man in question.

"What? No! He would never-"

"I understand if you're afraid to say it, no one will blame you. A simple head nod and I'll help you in any way that I can." Felicity had never held her head as stiff as she was just then.

"Doctor, I appreciate the concern, really, but I was mugged. I promise you I'm not being abused. Especially not by Oliver." She huffed out a laugh at he absurdity of Oliver causing her pain when he was ready to kill for her earlier.

"Okay, I'm sorry if I've offended you at all it's just injuries like this are usually linked with abuse."

"No, that's- I understand. Thank you." When the doctor finally dropped the subject she let out a sigh of relief catching Oliver's confused gaze. She shook her head indicating she would tell him later.

The X-ray technician handed her the heavy lead apron and lead her to the chair next to the machine giving her instructions on what to do.

After nearly an hour and a half of entering the hospital, her arm was wrapped in a white cast and resting in a sling. As a joke, she almost chose green but realized that may have caught the wrong attention.

When they were all set they met Sara and Digg back in the waiting room. Upon their entry they stood up and met them halfway but not before Felicity snagged a lollipop off the receptionists desk.

"Everything's okay?" Sara asked concerned.

"Yeah. There's no extreme damage to her throat. Just the bruising and swelling which they said would go down in a few days. The wrist was a clean break as well." Oliver answered for her as she popped the candy into her mouth.

"Look what I get!" She held up the prescription for her pain meds to Digg who laughed once he read the scribbled 'Oxycodone' on the blue slip.

"She's had some already I presume?" Oliver laughed nodding his head in confirmation.

"Alright, Smoak. Let's get you home." Sara said winding an arm across Felicity's shoulders. They made a quick stop to the foundry for the rest of Felicity's belongings and in doing so, Sara headed out having been closer to her makeshift home.

Oliver drove with Digg to Felicity's place and escorted her into her home once they arrived. When they arrived the exhaustion of the day's events along with the side effects of the medication were basically weighing her down. Oliver wrapped an arm against her waist as she leaned heavily into him as they made their way up the stairs and to the door. Having already acquired her keys before exiting the car, he opened her front door and ushered her inside heading towards her bedroom.

"Thank you, Oliver. You're too good to me. If only that doctor knew how stupid she sounded. _Pfft_." Oliver stopped walking and stared down at her.

"What are you talking about? Is this from when you were getting your X-ray?"

"Yeah. She thought I was being abused. Well, technically I was," Oliver stiffened beside her, "but that was an accident really and she thought I was being abused by you of all people. As if." She scoffed as they entered her room. "Okay I need to change but I might need your help so could you… would you mind, just, waiting out here until I'm done just in case?" She requested sheepishly.

"Of course." He said turning and taking stance in her hall just outside the door. She smiled at him before turning around but stopped short and turned back to him.

"Uh, actually, could you-" She gestured toward the zipper at the back of her dress, "I don't think a one handed attempt will get me very far." Oliver nodded and she turned her back to him, stifling a hitch in her breath as she felt his hands at her back slowly unzipping her dress.

"Thanks. One second." She turned back around and headed into her room closing the door. She managed to slip into her sweatpants one handed, though very clumsily. She opted for an old slightly oversized t-shirt she got from MIT so she could easily slip the cast into it finding that she managed it on her own without Oliver's help. When she opened the door she couldn't help but notice the quick once-over her gave her. Though she pushed the thought to the back of her mind convinced she was imaging it anyway.

"So, never mind. Apparently not as hard as I thought." Felicity said as she walked with Oliver towards her front door.

"That's good. At least Roy didn't make your life a _total_ inconvenience." She sighed at the bitter tone he didn't even try hiding.

"Oliver, I thought we talked about this. You can't keep blaming him for this." She said stopping at the end of the hallway.

"We talked about you not blaming him. Not me." He said almost nonchalantly as if he wasn't in fact still wanting to put an arrow in Roy. Within seconds of him finishing his statement, he sighed running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Felicity, I'm sorry. I get that you don't want to blame him. That you feel bad for him or, or _something_. But I _can't_. I can't just up and forgive him after watching him hurt you. Watching as he basically tried to- tried to kill you."

"He didn't tr-" He didn't let her finish.

"Yeah, yeah I know 'it wasn't intentional'. That doesn't change the fact that it happened. And had even the slightest thing gone differently tonight, _you wouldn't even be here_." She faltered at the rare emotion conveyed in his voice. Not that he was emotionless, but to hear such raw fear, even though small, was still a shock to her.

"Oliver… I- Alright, I get it. I do, and I don't want to _force_ you to forgive him, but just give him a chance. He's a good kid and it's not his fault he's now the way he is. I mean, maybe the anger issues are a bit his fault. But the strength an the uncontrollability… he just needs time. We all have our flaws, Oliver."

"I'll still put an arrow in him if he ever does something like that again. I don't want you going near him again." She rolled her eyes at him fully knowing that was something that wasn't going to be happening.

He shrugged, "It was worth a shot. Though I would prefer it." She went to respond but was cut off by a yawn instead. Oliver stepped towards her wrapping her in a one-armed hug being mindful of her injured arm, and pressed his lips atop her head. "Get some sleep, Felicity. I don't want to see you tomorrow. Stay home and rest." He said in his best authoritative tone leaving no room for arguments, thought she tried anyway. "I mean it."

"Goodnight, Oliver." Felicity jokingly pushed him out the door, waving to Digg before shutting the door.

The next day she listened to Oliver's 'demand'. Well, technically she listened.

She called out of her job at Queen Consolidated and stayed home to sleep in a little as her body tried to regain a bit of the strength she lost last night. Showering with one arm was certainly a task and afterwards, she tried to master the art of covering her bruise with makeup hoping to never need to use that method again after this one disappeared. Fortunately, the swelling in her neck wasn't nearly as bad as she expected it to be. Which was a little surprising considering the bruise marring the front of her neck.

As the day continued on, however, she couldn't help becoming restless in her own home. She ended up throwing on a pair of jeans. And by 'throwing', she spent ten minutes trying to work the jeans up her legs and then trying and failing over and over at buttoning them up until she finally got it. She settled for a simple fitted T-shirt that was still manageable enough to shove her cast through the arm hole and her panda flats.

She headed to the foundry even though she knew Oliver wouldn't approve, but it wasn't in her to just stay away…which technically got her in this mess to begin with.

She was at her computer when she heard the door open. She turned to see Roy heading down the stairs.

"Oh…I, uh…I didn't know you'd be here. Digg told me to meet them here. I'll just go wait upstairs." The nervousness in him was certainly new she thought. He turned to head back upstairs when she called out to him. He stopped and hesitantly walked forward, stopping a good distance away from Felicity.

"I don't bite." She said teasingly.

"You're not the one I'm worried about." Roy's voice came out hard and cold and she knew the tone wasn't meant for her, but rather himself.

"It was an accident. If it happens again, then yeah, maybe I'll be a little more cautious, but I don't think I should have anything to worry about now, do I?" He shook his head.

"I hope not, but unfortunately I can't make any promises." He sighed, "If I ever get like that again, don't stop Oliver from killing me." She was momentarily at a loss for words until she regained herself.

"Stop that. He would never do that, nor would I let him. Though honestly, I don't think it would really be that easy anyway." She shrugged.

"Listen, Roy, Oliver could remain angry at you forever. Or he could come around. I really don't know, the guys not always that easy to figure out. But if you're willing to work with him, listen to what he tells you, he'll come around. You need to work with this though. The mirakuru isn't something to take lightly and he knows what he's doing so you have to trust him. But you have to trust yourself too. You have to want to learn to control this, because there's really no way you can't in the long run. This is dangerous stuff, Roy. You need to be responsible."

"Yeah, I-" He stopped when he heard the door open from the top of the stairs. They both looked over as Oliver and Digg headed down the stairs. Roy tensed in anticipation of wrath from Oliver. Felicity gave him an encouraging smile even though inside she was a little worried about the interaction. However, as Oliver made his way over, his glare was instead directed at her.

"Felicity." His voice low, "I told you to stay home."

"Oh come on, Oliver. I called out of QC isn't that enough? I was getting bored! Besides, I got my pain meds it's not like this is strenuous to just sit here."

"Tell me you didn't drive here after taking those." Digg interrupted giving her a hard look.

"No, of course not. Don't be stupid." She said with a with a casual flick of her hand. He rolled his eyes and turned to give Roy a nod in greeting while Oliver gave her a look that told him he wasn't amused. He turned to Roy and a moment of silence passed through the room as Felicity held her breath.

"You ready?" Oliver asked. Roy hesitated not expecting the casual tone or simple question.

"Uh, I- Yeah. Yeah."

"Good. Let's go." Oliver turned to Felicity before heading towards the mats and she couldn't help but smile at the clear restrain he was holding, but also the slight tinge of compromise. While Oliver and Roy walked towards the mats, Digg approached her.

"Alright, what have you done to Oliver?" She laughed, shaking her head at him. She knew she'd have to still keep an eye on the tension that was bound to resurface, but she was glad it wasn't nearly half as bad as it was last night.

"Autograph?" She held up a marker and slipped her cast out of the sling towards Digg. He laughed and took the pen from her.

"One of a kind, Smoak. One of a kind."

* * *

**There ya go! Hope you liked it! **

**Oh, I tried spacing some of the sections but seemingly when ever I try that it never shows up once I post it. Or maybe my computer just doesn't like me, I don't know haha. Thank you again!**


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